The historic Melvin Gordon
It was a testament to Melvin Gordon’s talent that many people believed he could have gone to the NFL after last season, despite being the backup to James White.
But Gordon returned for his redshirt junior season, putting off the professional ranks for one more year to finally get a crack at the starting lineup. He did not disappoint.
Gordon put together one of the all-time great seasons by a college running back, running for 2,336 yards and 26 touchdowns. Both marks led the FBS this year.
It was his performance Nov. 15 against Nebraska, however, that transcended his final stat lines and cemented his legacy as one of Wisconsin’s best running backs in school history.
With snow falling steadily throughout the game, Gordon thrashed the Husker defense for a then-FBS record 408 rushing yards on just 25 carries. He scored four touchdowns and didn’t even play the fourth quarter.
In any other season, Gordon would have run away with the Heisman Trophy. But with Oregon’s Marcus Mariota having a spectacular season of his own, Gordon will likely finish second.
Regardless, Gordon’s season demands immense appreciation. There wasn’t anything else he could have done from an individual standpoint. Now, he can finally make the leap to the NFL without any doubts over what he left behind.
—Jim Dayton
Lauren Carlini leading a new era of UW volleyball
What a year it has been for sophomore setter Lauren Carlini of the women’s volleyball team. The Aurora, Illinois, native earned the highest honors in the Big Ten this year winning both Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Setter of the Year.
Carlini won numerous awards during the year ranging from Big Ten Setter of the Week, on Sept. 8, Sept. 22 and Nov. 24, 2014, to all tournament team, in the HotelRED Invitational.
Carlini lead a balanced Badger attack that averaged 14.6 kills per set, a .287 attacking percentage and 13.6 assists per set.
Awards were not new to Carlini, as she earned a fair share of them during her freshman year at Wisconsin. In 2013, she was named to the 2013 all-NCAA Tournament team and won Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
This year, Carlini averaged 11.45 assists per set, 2.89 digs per set, .92 kills per set, .67 blocks per set and leads the team with .41 serving aces per set.
While the individual awards have got to make Carlini feel great, the ultimate prize for her and the Badgers will come in the NCAA tournament.
The Badgers successfully swept their first two opponents in the tournament and will take on Big Ten foe No. 18 Ohio State Friday, who the Badgers started their 21 game win streak against.
—Sam Karp
Karley Sylvester, linchpin of lethal offense
The Badgers’ assistant captain has been a pivotal part of the team’s dominant season. She isn’t their leading goal scorer, but she does lead the team in points with 25, good for third most in the WCHA. Her squad has relied on her consistency, as she’s earned at least a point in 13 of 19 games.
Teammate Brittany Ammerman, a redshirt senior, leads the Badgers in goals, but Sylvester’s team-best 17 assists have been a major part of their offensive success. Eight of them have come in the third period, and seven have been on the last goal scored in a game. The senior forward sets up her teammates when it matters most.
When she isn’t setting up her teammates, she is firing on target. Sylvester leads the Badgers with 85 shots on goal, good for fourth-most in the conference. Opposing goaltenders have to know where she is on the ice at all times.
Karley is a veteran leader for her team, and she has facilitated much of their success. They’re going to need more of the same from her for the second half of the season.
—Lorin Cox
Nigel Hayes, the final piece of a Big 3
While preseason expectations were sky-high for both Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, not many people were expecting sophomore forward Nigel Hayes to perform as well as he has in the early stages of the year.
Though he’s struggled a bit in Wisconsin’s last two games, scoring a total of nine points against Duke and Marquette, Hayes is still averaging 11.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game this season. He leads the Badgers with 283 minutes played, and his 50 defensive rebounds are second to only Kaminsky among Big Ten players.
Hayes, who is shooting 51.5 percent from the field, has also added long-range shooting to his arsenal. He has made six 3-pointers through nine games after not attempting a single shot from beyond the arc during his freshman year.
His performances against Duke and Marquette showed that he still has room for improvement, but Hayes still has recorded two double-doubles this season and Wisconsin’s frontcourt is nearly unstoppable when he’s performing at a high level.
His play so far this year is a very encouraging sign for the Badgers as the conference season quickly approaches.
—Zach Rastall
Genevieve Richard posts slew of shutouts
The Badgers soared to a historic record-breaking season, earning a 19-3-2 record and capturing the Big Ten Tournament Title. Wisconsin was led by redshirt senior Genevieve Richard, who broke several school records while earning conference, regional and national honors.
Richard and the rest of Wisconsin’s 2014 squad could arguably go down as the best defensive unit in school history. The Badgers allowed just ten goals all season, a new school record.
Individually, Richard earned 16 shutouts in 24 games, a mark that makes her Wisconsin’s record holder. With her career number of 23 shutouts, she moved into eighth place on the career records list at UW.
The stellar play of Richard was the key to the Badger’s highly successful season. In tight games, Richard always gave Wisconsin a chance. When it came playoff time, she stepped up when it mattered most, collecting three shutouts in the Big Ten Tournament.
Then, in the NCAA Tournament, she denied the DePaul forwards from point-blank range a number of times, earning a shutout to lead the Badgers to a victory.
For her outstanding season, Richard was named the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, selected to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes First Team and earned third team NSCAA All-American honors.
After being at the helm for the Badger’s exceptional campaign, Richard will not be easily replaced as Wisconsin looks to continue its development into an elite program in the following years.
—Bobby Ehrlich
